Yum Yum Tree: Oriental, Sushi, Bar

Yum Yum Tree: Oriental, Sushi, Bar

New Friends Market

Not so Yum!!

A little expense on interiors, high pricing and excellent service does not qualify a restaurant as fine dining; food that draw customers back is definitely the most important aspect, one which sadly the promoters of YYT have opted to over-look.

We started with crispy vegetables, BBQ ribs, Asparagus Dim-Sums, and a crispy chili garlic fish. The Dim Sums were excellent, the fish was de-hydrated and had a bit of extra batter, the vegetables had more batter than veggies and the BBQ ribs were strangely deep-fried. Maybe I read the menu incorrectly but when I read BBQ ribs I expect the meat to bar-b-qued and not deep-fried and covered with BBQ sauce. Irrespective, we sent it back and decided to move to the main course, which turned out to be a mixed bag. The chef’s special Chicken was borderline tasteless, the Chicken Hakka noodles were bland; the Chili Garlic noodles (Sichuan noodles) were decent (perfect amount of chili and sufficient garlic to give a nice flavor but not overpower the dish, however the dish strangely had a sweetish aftertaste). The stand out dish was the Sichuan Vegetables, the vegetables were crisp and the dish overall had excellent flavor. The worst dish was the Singapore Prawns, there was so much batter that the taste of the prawn was completely lost.

The only good aspect of YYT is the service – the water glasses were refilled without asking; when we sent the ribs back, within 5 mins the chef himself came to inquire as to what the issue was and was soon followed by the manager. Actually kudos to the staff, they realized we dint have a good time and tried to make for it by offering complimentary dessert. We were served a trio of gelatos (Baileys – too sweet, tea – mixed opinions around the table, personally I liked it and cookies – the best of the lot) and chocolate skewers (little, cinnamon dusted skewered doughnut pieces, served with chocolate sauce – the doughnut pieces were light and fluffy but the sauce was not that great, a little too commercial for my taste)

All in all, a very average meal and for the prices paid, I seriously doubt we would be returning. Basically, if you are in the mood for fine dining oriental, avoid YYT; but I guess most people have already come to this conclusion since there were only 3 tables occupied on a Saturday night

Food Quality: 2.5/5

Dish Portions: 3/5

Service: 5/5

Value for money: 2.5/5

Ambience: Sophisticated and subtle

Meal for two (without alcohol): INR 1800 - 2400

Mamagoto:Oriental

Mamagoto : Oriental

Khan Market

After the food we got last time, mama(don’t )goto….

Over the last year and a half, have eaten here many times and some of the dishes – Shrimp with Dry Chili and Burnt Garlic, Sesame Lamb with Pepper Sauce, BBQ Prawns with miso dressing – have always been excellent. Our last experience however was most forgettable.

We started with a greens salad, which was passable, moved to the Honey Chicken, which funnily had a sour after taste. And that set the tone for the evening, all the other dishes tasted the same and were just sour; only pregnant women with a hankering for ‘khatta’ could have enjoyed the meal!

The Penang curry and the Khao Suey, both tasted exactly the same, and had the same dirty sour aftertaste. The Glass Noodles also had the same problem. If it had been only the curries I would have thought that their coconut milk has gone bad, but since the noodles also had the same acidic overtone, it seems they added the same ’secret’  (and most avoidable) broth / sauce to all their dishes.  The real problem, I guess was that the head chef was not around that night. Whatever the issue might have been the food was downright atrocious.

The only saving grace of the evening was the service; the staff was courteous, well informed about the menu and most apologetic when we sent back dishes. The manager also came to check on what the issue was and got us fresh portions of two dishes, but unfortunately with no improvement.

We had gone with huge appetites and large expectations, unfortunately both were left dissatisfied. But before completely writing off Mamagoto, will give it another try, maybe they just had a bad night… (Will keep you guys posted)

  

Food Quality: 2.5/5

Dish Portions: 3.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Value for money: 3/ 5

Ambience: Lively, seems like you stepped into a cartoon

Meal for two (without alcohol, ribs or chops): INR 1000 - 1500

No. Of Visits: Multiple

Rajendar Ka Dhaba – Tikkas, Kebabs, Fried chicken etc.

Rajender ka Dhaba: Tikkas, Kebabs, Fried Chicken etc.

Opposite the erstwhile Kamal cinema

We go here with the sole purpose of pigging out on kababs and tikkas. Their most popular dishes appear to be the fried chicken and the chicken Malai tikka, which just dissolves in the mouth. Lately, have also tried the Galoti kababs with ulte tawe ke roti and Seekh tawa massala – the kababs are the melt in the mouth variety however the balance of masaals is slightly off (sometimes the garam masaala is a bit much) and the roti could have been a bit thinner but at Rajendar it tasted just fine. The Seekh tawa massala is really massala, hot and spicy definitely worth going back for, try it with the naan and a Thumb’s Up (available at the paanwaala nexdoor). Another old favorite is their mutton Barra; consistently well cooked, perfectly seasoned and very tender. Apologies, but have no idea about their veg fare!

If eating on the street is not for you, they have restaurant style seating and service towards the back and in the adjoining basement, but you also pay around 25% more for the same food.

Personally, I think when it comes to tikkas and kababs in Delhi, street vendors and dhabas will give any swanky restaurant a run for their money and Rajendar seems to be the king of dhabas. `

Food Quality: 4.5/5

Portion size: 4/5

Service: NA

Value for money: 4.5/ 5

Ambience: NA (We eat on the street)

Meal for two: INR 650 - 1000

No. of Visits: Multiple

Chilis: Tex- Mex, Bar & Grill

Chilis: Tex-Mex, Bar & Grill

Ambiance Mall, Vasant Kunj

The 1^st time we went here was when the place had just opened and again nearly 2 year later; the service, which was pathetic, then (which I had attributed to teething troubles) has gone further downhill. It took 20 minutes and 4 reminders to get mustard, the same problem for refills of coke, 50 minutes to get the wrong main course dishes and when we asked for a rare steak, were told ‘we have only well done’, and these are only the screw ups I remember! Obviously after being subjected to all this, we asked to speak with the manager; strangest thing, for 25 minutes he refused to come to our table and communicated via our server!!

Coming to the food, the classic American fare is unfortunately not that classic. I assume their signature dish would be the burgers, but with stale dried out buns with grainy dehydrated meat it’s a wonder how they are surviving. We ordered a total of 3 dishes; the burger was a massive let down, the veg quesadillas were decent and the 3rd, a grilled beef dish we sent back since the meat was like rubber; besides, it looked nothing like the menu description. After 20 minutes, our server brought the dish back, but it did not look or taste like anything we were initially served. Clearly the dish we sent back, was hurriedly slapped together after we created a fuss.

Just because Chilis is a big brand, the franchisee thinks he can get away with dishing out crap with service to match. It’s really something that the franchisor should look into. I have had many a memorable meal at Chilis in Dubai and the west, but was most disappointed with the bad food and the lackadaisical service in Delhi. It speaks volumes about the brand and the blame should not be placed only on the franchisor; TGIF and Hard Rock have similar menus and have done an excellent job of maintaining their standards of food and service quality.

Like me, if you enjoy your American tex-mex cuisine, head to Hard Rock, Rodeo or even TGIF, but definitely stay away from Chilis – it just gives the cuisine a bad name in Delhi.

Food Quality: 2/5

Food Quantity: 3.5/5

Service: 0/5

Value for money: 1.5/ 5

Ambience: Peppy bar

Meal for two (without alcohol): INR 1100 - 1300

No. Of Visits: 2

Dongio : Calabrese

Dongio : Calabrese

Via Bernardino Corio 3, Milan

Excellent home style food, brilliant service...

The 1st thing that stands out is the friendly service with a smile, a thing sadly lacking in most Milan restaurants. The Calabrese menu offers a variety of pastas, 2^nd courses and a handful of salads. 

Don’t miss the chili pistachio ice cream to finish your meal.

Overall it’s a nice place for family gatherings or even semi formal meetings, with good food, excellent service,

but very home type plating and food presentation. Be sure to make a reservation.

Food Quality: 3.5/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service:4/5

Ambience: Rustic home style Dinning room

Value for money: 4/5

Meal for two without wine: 25 – 40 Euros

No. of visits: 3

As Published on Trip Advisor

Diva Café : Café fare, mainly Italian

Diva Café : Café fare, mainly Italian

N Block Market, Greater Kailash - I

2^nd visit in 3 weeks, and the experience has been great both times. 

The service is excellent - the staff is well informed about the menu and highly attentive and the food is exquisite (as to be expected from Ms. Dalmia!).

The La mia Preferiat salad is defiantly worth trying, only time I’ve ever liked beetroot, the sweetness is well balanced by the grilled goat cheese and the tahini like dressing. 

The Parma pizza with rocket is as good as I had in Parma; the base is light, thin and perfectly cooked and the fact that they are not stingy with the Parma ham helps. If you like garlic, go for the Angle Hair Pasta with chili and garlic but make sure you sprinkle some Parmesan on top. Along with our food we had some nice Montalcino (since it was available by the glass), overall the wine list is large enough for a café, including some nice Sicilian wines.

The only issue is that the menu is a bit limited on the Italian dishes; personally I would have liked (and was expecting) the menu to be authentic Italian café fare and not have dishes like Goan and Sindhi curries, noodles and spring roles. That aside, the Italian stuff is delicious and I will defiantly be re-visiting.

Food Quality: 4/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5 (sometimes the staff can be a bit officious)

Ambience: Suitable for a quiet evening

Meal for two (with table / house wine): INR 3000 – 4000

Value for money: 3.5/ 5

No. Of visits: 3

As published on Trip Advisor

Don Juanito : Argentinean Grill

Don Juanito : Argentinean Grill

Corso di Porta Vigentina 33, Milan

Satiate your Argentinean grilled meat craving with excellent service at reasonable rates…

If you crave quality meat at affordable prices – this is the place. From the pleasant and service oriented staff to the excellent portions of well-cooked meat, Don Juanito is delight to visit. Though an Argentinean restaurant the menu is focused on beef, with a few pork and chicken dishes. The salads are okay but the main courses and the all potato accompaniments are excellent (try the one with bacon & cheese). The mixed grill for 2 is highly recommended as it has samples of all their best dishes and is more than sufficient for 2 hearty appetites. The

most popular dish though appears to be the grilled steak. The Sangria is nice and refreshing but wish they did not limit the beer to only Argentinean brands. Most nights, it is packed; so be sure to make a reservation.

Food Quality: 4/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service:4/5

Ambience: Peppy

Meal for two (without wine): 50 - 80 euros

Value for money: 5/5

No. of times visited: 5

As published on Trip Advisor